Does your website or blog have a place for comments and/or user-generated reviews? Whether or not you have products for people to purchase, you are selling something, even if it is ideas. Research has shown the consumers are more trusting of reviews from fellow consumers than they are of advertisements.

Some people comb company websites and the websites that allow people to rate goods and services to read about other people’s experiences and opinions before they make a purchase. And getting input from your customers is not only helpful for your business; it can also be helpful for Your Site search engine optimization.

You may be a little hesitant to let user comments appear on your website–after all, what if they say something negative? Well, there is nothing that says you need to make your online forum a free-for-all.

You do not have to allow every single comment to be published. On the other hand, if you require commenters to leave an e-mail address, you can respond directly to someone who leave a negative comment and offer them the opportunity to try your products again.

Experts have found that having user-generated content that is embedded as HTML can be beneficial for your website since those pages will attract the attention of web crawlers.

This is not something to do in the hopes that this alone will send your search engine rankings through the roof; rather it is one of the many things you can do to improve your SEO and increase overall online visibility. Plus, you may actually be surprised at how often commenters use the very keywords that you have been trying to use to get search engines to notice your site.

Unsure of what your keywords are? Our SEO firm Increase Visibility can help.

There is some big news in the social media world: Twitter is now going to display tweets that are supported by advertisers at the top of search results. They are calling with new program “Promoted Tweets.”

Although Twitter is used by many individuals and companies for promotional purposes, this is the first time that the company itself will step into advertising in the same way other websites do. For a while, the company resisted having advertising, but now they will join other social networking sites, such as Facebook, in displaying ads.

 Presumably, companies that do not want to pay for Promoted Tweets, will still be free to open Twitter accounts at no cost and send out as many messages as they like without paying for it. So if you have yet to start a Twitter account, we encourage you to do so , since it is a great way to improve your site SEO .

Ads that show certain products will be visible when an individual conducts a search that relates to those products. Promoted Tweets will be labeled, so that people know that the tweet has been sponsored.

What do you think? Some feel like this is the beginning of the end for Twitter. Other think it is just a part of the natural evolution of any social networking site. Like many sites, social networking giants like Facebook and Twitter start out small, but then grown exponentially. Although they fight to hold onto that “homegrown” feel, it is hard to maintain operations in the internet without some kind of advertising.

Twitter made this grand announcement without saying much about the fee schedule for this new program. Companies pay for pay-per-click ads [http://www.increasevisibility.com/search-engine-marketing/pay-per-click-adv.php when someone actually clicks on the ad, but we somehow doubt that Promoted Tweets works in that same fashion.

A recent Advertising Age article entitled “Facebook Will Rule the Web During the Next Decade“  gave us some food for thought. Even if you do not agree with its bold prediction, the article has a bigger message: it points to the impact that social networking has had on the way we live and the way we do business. Whether or not you use Facebook, you have to be aware that many internet users turn to Facebook not only to connect with friends, but to get information and increasingly, to conduct business transactions.

The article mentioned that some businesses let consumers purchase products via Facebook without ever sending them to their individual websites. Other businesses do not actually conduct transactions via Facebook, but they do use it as a tool to build relationships with and get feedback from customers.

Depending on the nature of your organization, using Facebook may or may not be a good idea for improving and get more business. However, using the internet to do all you can to connect with the public is a great idea.

Have you found that you are really not sure what your customers want? Do you wonder if certain products are being well-received? Even if you have impressive sales figures, you still need to reach out to your customers. You may learn surprising things: for example you could find out that customers have found new uses for your products. You could make the most of that information using Orange County search engine optimization , if you were aware.

Whether you want to delve into social networking, or improve your customer outreach through your current website, the Orange County SEO consultants at Increase Visibility can help. We can help you with Orange County SEO  so that more people find your website when they are online.

Yesterday we talked about how it is important to take advantage of social networking websites because they offer the opportunity to improve orange county search engine optimization.

And we recently read an article about how if you decide that you want to use social networking websites like Twitter and Facebook you need to get some expert assistance. In fact, “What Google’s “Real-Time” Search Means to SEO” clearly states:

“In order for a company to ensure that they are using Google’s real-time search properly and above board,” says Crisafi, “businesses should only hire a search engine optimization firm that not only has experience in social network marketing, but also adheres to organic, white hat search engine optimization practices.”

Increase Visibility is such a company. We were recently voted the most highly ranked SEO firm out of 2,500 competing firms for customer service and rankings achievability on TopSeos.com, the only place online to research and find a reputable SEO firm. Increase Visibility delivers unmatched and customized search engine marketing services to meet all the unique needs of our clients. We handle many different kinds of websites, industries, audiences, and marketing goals, no matter how large or difficult the project. We are the only search engine marketing firm that offers marketing services focused specifically on driving qualified traffic to your website and then converting them into customers.

This is what separates us from other search engine marketing firms because we know that creating orange county search engine positioning plan is not one-size-fits-all. We take time to learn about your company, your products and services and your goals. Increase Visibility does have SEO plans and we use these as a framework because we know that each organization is unique.

We have already mentioned that Google will now include real-time information from social networking sites like Twitter, Facebook and MySpace in its search results. If you are re-examining web site marketing in orange county, this is definitely news you can use.

So those of you that have avoided using social networking sites because you do not see the value or think you do not have the time, need to reconsider. Whereas before that information was mainly available to people who spent time on them, now more people will see it. This information will show up in searches that anyone using Google does, whether they actually use social networking sites or not and you want to take advantage of the opportunity to get more exposure for your business. Now more than ever, it is important that orange county ecommerce websites take advantage of the search engine optimization opportunities afford them by social networking websites. People on the social networking websites will learn about you and people doing Google searches will also read about you, plus your search engine ranking will benefit.

Although costs nothing to set up a page on sites like Twitter and Facebook, you will need to put some time and effort into the content you include on your pages. When you sign on for help from orange county seo consultant Increase Visibility, we will analyze your website and give you information about the keywords people use when they are searching for products and services such as those you offer. With our help, you can use this information as you decide what kind of content to include in social networking sites.

Get started today by contacting us for your free website analysis to learn more about what you can do to improve your SEO.

At Increase Visibility, we certainly encourage our clients to embrace social networking and make the most of the some of the low-cost ways that you can harness the power of the internet to improve California SEO. What kind of California SEO service would we be if we did not?

People come to us because they need help with internet marketing and SEO. Some of those who come to use are new to the internet–either they have not really used it all or they have used it so infrequently that they are not completely aware of the nuances of online culture. Since the internet is a different medium for communication, it can seem alien or strange. Sometimes those of us who use it all the time can find it perplexing. Good business practices from the physical world carry over to the virtual world, of course. Still, there are some things to keep in mind when if you start to blog or use Twitter as part of your internet marketing campaign.

Social networking is a two-way street
If you go home and set out appetizers for a party, but have sent no invitations, how can you expect people to come? Even though people are aware that your business exists, they will not follow you on Twitter, read your blog or check out your company’s Facebook page if you do not tell them that these things are there. If you want to make your online social networking campaign a success, you need to spread the word.

You also need to reciprocate. Leave comments on blogs that are related to your industry. Follow and interact with people of influence in your industry on Twitter. When people see that you are willing to support them, they will start to support you too.

If you are looking for a California search engine optimization company to help you get started with making the most of the internet to boost your business, call us at 877-SEO-ADVICE (877-735-2384) or send an e-mail to info@increaseVisibility.com and we’d be happy to help get you on your way.

Opportunities in Internet marketing exploded in 2008 and have set an innovative path for 2009. Social networking created the biggest noise amidst a cacophony of new products vying for attention. The five biggest attention getters in the internet marketing arsenal emphasize the importance of search engine optimization and interconnectedness in formulating your Internet marketing plan for 2009. If there’s a keyword that will describe successful Internet marketing efforts in 2009, it’s collaboration.

• Facebook went mainstream in 2008, growing at the unbelievable rate of more than half a million users a day. Poised to overtake popular competitor MySpace this year, Facebook now reports more than 130 million active users and millions more “friends” who regularly access Facebook sites. Widgets in the Facebook sidebar herald the Internet’s next big trend: open social networking. Facebook widgets and Google’s Friend Connect allow friends to stay connected while visiting other websites and blogs. Enabling visitors to communicate with each other while visiting your website will position you to take full advantage of open social networking and its customer referral potential.
• iPhone is transforming the way we communicate. Communication experts at last fall’s Web 2.0 Summit predicted that within 5 years the iPhone will be the most popular phone in the U.S. and that more people will access the Internet via their phones than with computers. Quickly multiplying iPhone apps already allow users to search the Internet, access GPS directions, ID and download music, play games, read books, play an instrument, snap a picture, send live video, and much, much more.
• Twitter marries the immediacy of cell phone technology with the power of the Internet. Twitter allows you to post short-burst alerts to customers. Use Twitter to provide immediate answers to customers’ questions, direct them to useful site pages or offsite info sources, and alert them to special offers.
• Podcasts have many of the same advantages as face-to-face communication, allowing you to connect to and interact with customers on a direct personal level. Podcasts allow you to show your products in action, provide valuable training seminars in product use, sponsor vibrant interactive sessions between customers and staff specialists, and introduce customers to innovative new products and services.
• Blogging allows you to develop a rapport with potential customers. Linking to other blogs and websites also creates important search engine links that can significantly boost your rankings. Blogs are a proven method of maintaining a connection with established customers and attracting new customers. An informative, interesting and well-written blog will keep people coming back to see what’s new.

The move to digital communications is changing the way we think and do business (see our Dec. 19 & 23 posts). Tech-savvy young people raised in a world of computers, electronic gaming and cell phones spend most of their time in the virtual universe. They use texting and instant messages to connect with friends. Facebook has replaced face time as a way to share thoughts and life events with friends and family. These so called digital natives eschew the brick and mortar stores of their parents’ generation to shop almost exclusively online. They don’t read the newspaper, go to the library or buy books and magazines. Everything they need they find online, from directions to the concert to a recipe for vegetarian chili to where to buy the hot pair of shoes they saw on their favorite cable show last night. The next generation’s reliance on all things digital is already impacting the marketplace; and, with more digital natives entering the workforce every year, is beginning to change the way America does business.

Websites have already become an essential — and increasingly primary — element in business marketing strategies. Repeated studies have found that even people who eventually purchase from a brick-and-mortar store begin their search for products and services online. Savvy businessmen have already jumped on the You Tube bandwagon, posting humorous videos and sponsoring mini film contests to connect with techno-driven young consumers. Businesses have started using Facebook to get their message to the next big group of paying customers. Social marketing is adding a more immediate, more personal and more casual emphasis to Internet marketing.

The Internet information highway is becoming so littered with new technology and new choices that it can be hard for consumers to even find your business. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) focuses attention on your business and makes it visible to potential customers. As our reliance on digital technology increases, new platforms will allow greater interconnectedness. Blackberries and iPhones, which already allow a certain amount of integration, are just the beginning. Businesses that pursue and maintain aggressive SEO programs now best position themselves to take advantage of future technological advances and increase their visibility in the digital world.

Increase visibility offers search engine optimization plans to fit every need and budget. Contact our SEO experts to find out how we can position your company to compete in the digital world — now and in the future.